The line closed to passengers in 1962, and was shut to freight from 1965. The northern stretches of the lines from Upper Boat to Pontypridd forms the redeveloped dual carriageway sections of the A470 road, while the southern section from Rhydyfelin to Penrhos form part of the Taff Trailcycleway, constructed at a cost of £42,000

Background

From 1870 onwards, the demand for Rhondda steam coal was expanding quicker than the infrastructure of the Taff Vale Railway and Cardiff docks could provide. In 1874 the total coal and coke exported from Cardiff and Penarth was 2,886,000 tons, which had risen to 7,774,828 tons by 1882. By 1880 a train typically took 23 hours to travel from the Ocean Colliery to Bute Dock, and 27 hours for the empty wagons to return. This slowed production, as no additional railway capacity had been built, and only the Roath Basin provided additional dock capacity.

The other driver behind the building of the PC&NR was to provide a direct route to the Alexandra Dock, thereby reducing both the time and cost of shipping coal directly to the new facility. Lord Tredegar and Sir George Elliot of Powell Duffryn collieries agreed that the only way to secure the future income of the Alexandra docks was the provision of a direct railway route.

PC&NR

Although formed by the same directors of the Alexandra Docks & Railway Company, the PC&NR was formed as a separate company to the Alexandra Docks & Railway Company for various investment, tax, political and operational reasons.

The single track from Caerphilly to Bassaleg provided both too little capacity for the freight traffic, as well as a challenging 1:39 climb out of Caerphilly station for loaded trains. The Machen Loop Act of 1887 gave the PC&NR the right to double track the route, with a diverged route from Gwaun-y-Bara junction to Machen providing a 1:200 slope for loaded trains. The new double track came into operation on 14 September, 1891, and was immediately transferred to the Brecon and Merthyr Railway; which in return paid 50% of the annual net earnings from the Caerphilly branch to the PC&NR.

Operations

Trains were operated by initially under agreement with the Taff Vale Railway, who hauled private owner wagons using their own engines over the PC&NR. In doing so the Taff Vale Railway hoped to incorporate the PC&NR quickly in to its system. The first train of coal left Pontypridd on 7 July, 1884; picking up the Brecon and Merthyr pilot engine at Caerphilly. However, on reaching Bassaleg, the GWR refused the train access to Alexandra Docks. After some negotiation, the GWR relented and trains began operating from the 25 July, but neither the PC&NR or the Alexandra Dock were amalgamated with the TVR or GWR as quickly as the larger companies would have liked. Although bitter rivals (the TVR was also more profitable than the Great Western) the two companies were united in their desire to avoid allowing additional competition to spring up.

This situation continued until halted at the TVR's request, when the PC&NR purchased ten locomotives from the newly electrified Mersey Railway, and started its own freight operations from the 30 April, 1906. They also purchased some elderly locomotives and stock from the GWR, which were ironically returned to the Great Western in 1923 - although they were some 20 years older, the Great Western kindly allowed them to regain their former numbers.

Passenger services were run in two forms:

Through services: started from Pontypridd on the 28 December, 1887 with three trains running each way to Newport. From 1 January, 1899 the GWR took over, increasing traffic to four trains each way per day

Local services: started from Pontypridd Tram Road halt on the 28 December, 1887. On 1 September, 1904 the new Alexandra Docks and Railway Company again took over running of local services, from its own Pontypridd Tram Road halt to the Rhymney Railways Caerphilly station. This made connection with the Brecon and Merthyr services difficult, and so from 1 January, 1917 services were extended to the B&MR's Machen station. Local service were operated by a "push-pull" train with one or two carriages, which from 1904 were slowly replaced by railmotor sets, built by the Glasgow Railway and Engineering Company of Govan. Seven halts opened on route

Closure

The line survived well, fuelling the growth of Newport docks due to its downward incline for loaded trains. Passenger traffic was ceased form 17 September, 1956; while under the Beeching Axe it was shut to freight from 1965.

The northern stretches of the lines from Upper Boat to Pontypridd forms the redeveloped dual carriageway sections of the A470 road, while the southern section from Rhydyfelin to Penrhos form part of the Taff Trail cycleway, constructed at a cost of £42,000

Local services taken over by ANDR. New service from Pontypridd (Tram Road) Halt to Caerphilly started. Uses two steam railmotors built by the Glasgow Railway and Engineering Company of Govan. Seven halts opened on route